The Choices We Make
by Melissa Black13
Summary: AU. A young thief named Remy Lebeau's powers manifest in New Orleans and Professor Xavier sends Rogue and Storm to recruit him to join the X-Men. His family, however, is not so willing to let him go. NOT part of the Romy Chronicles. Please review!
1. Prologue

**Summary: **AU. ROMY. A young thief named Remy Lebeau's powers manifest in New Orleans and Professor Xavier sends Rogue and Storm to recruit him to join the X-Men. His family, however, is not so willing to let him go. Takes place between Season 1 and 2 of X-Men Evolution.

* * *

**The Choices We Make**

Prologue

_Something was wrong. Remy could feel it. As much as he tried to figure out what is was though, the answer remained hidden from him. There was a stillness to the night air that made him uneasy no matter how hard he tried to shake it off. To top it all his hands hurt again. It had been happening on and off for weeks now, starting as a light stinging and then progressing to a hot throbbing. He hadn't mentioned it to anyone, feeling a bit ashamed that he was letting something trivial like this bother him. So, Remy continued ignored the pain, and his uneasiness, in order to concentrate on the task at hand. _

_He was currently crouched down low on the rooftop of the New Orleans Museum of Art, waiting news from his cousin that he had successfully shut off the alarm system for the shrine figure they were about to steal. The 18th century African sculpture would never be of particular interest to Remy but his father's client was paying a vast amount of money for its theft. _

_"Status, Lapin?" his brother Henri, who was crouched down next to him, asked into his headset. _

_"I'm goin', I'm goin'," Emil answered, his voice filled with concentration. "There," he said a few seconds later. "All set for Remy to drop in."_

_"'K," Henri confirmed. He turned to Remy. "Ready, frère?" _

_Remy flashed him a smirk. "You know Remy's always ready," he told him arrogantly. _

_"Oui, mais, Remy better not mess this up or it'll be his funeral when Pére finds out," Henri said exasperatedly. _

_"Remy's not goin' to mess up. 'S just a routine heist. Why you so worked up, Henri?"_

_His older brother looked around uneasily before answering. "Somet'ing just don't feel right. Can you just get down there?"_

_Remy's confident grin faded. Henri felt it too, then. "Mais, oui," Remy answered, strapping on his gear. _

_This particular museum suffered from a common design flaw that made it simple to break into. All one had to do was shut down the security alarms on the building and drop in from the windows up on the roof. A piece of cake for the Thieves Guild who had quite brilliant (though Remy would never admit that to him) technicians like Lapin. Remy made his way over to one of the windows and effortlessly eased it open. He almost laughed at how easy this was. _

_He took out his trusty bo staff, a small compact metal cylinder that extended to a long nigh indestructible staff that had tons of other uses, and rigged it up so one end was stuck to the museum ceiling and the other became a long rope, stopping just inches above the museums floor. He slid carefully down the rope, taking care to be a silent as possible. It wouldn't do to be caught by a security guard passing by after all of Lapin's hard work.  
_

_He crept over to where he knew the sculpture would be according to the floor plan of the museum. The figure's only defenses against his sticky fingers were a couple red velvet ropes and in less than a minute Remy held the priceless (or maybe not so priceless) artifact in his gloved hands.  
_

_"Got it," he whispered smugly into his headpiece.  
_

_"Good," his brother's voice came. "Now get out of there."_

_"Whatever you say," Remy said, slipping the necklace into a pouch in his trench coat. Before he had even begun to take a step towards his bo staff, a sharp, burning pain ran down his arms and his gasped loudly. Without warning, his knees buckled and his fell to the ground. _

_"Remy?" Henri asked, hearing his gasp. "What's goin' on?"_

_"Somet'ing's happenin'," Remy grunted out through pain clenched teeth. He couldn't get up. All the energy in his body was been diverted to his hands, which felt like they were on fire. He had never felt pain this intense before. An urge swept through him. He had to get rid of the energy. _

_"Remy? Remy!" his brother's voice called frantically. "What's wrong?"_

_"I don't know," Remy moaned. He struggled to keep his eyes open. Suddenly, he saw, through his squinted eyes that his hands were glowing. A bright pink glow was emitting from his gloves. He gasped again as the pain grew worse. Take off your gloves, a voice inside him demanded. With what little strength he had in him, Remy tore off the glove on his right hand and chucked it from him. Remy didn't care where it landed as he focused on getting the other one off. He was too late though. The last thing Remy saw was a brilliant pink light before he felt a searing pain in his left hand. Then, it all went black. _

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**Disclaimer:** The characters and world of X-Men Evolution don't belong to me.

**A/N:** I've been sitting on this story for awhile. I'm of the firm opinion that Gambit should have been a good guy in X-Men Evolution so I came up with this. I know I should be working on the Romy Chronicles but this just keeps begging to be written. Let me know what you guys think. I want to see if I can actually garner some interest in this so please review!!

Melissa


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary: **AU. ROMY. A young thief named Remy Lebeau's powers manifest in New Orleans and Professor Xavier sends Rogue and Storm to recruit him to join the X-Men. His family, however, is not so willing to let him go. Takes place between Season 1 and 2 of X-Men Evolution.

* * *

Chapter 1

_She was throwing the game winning touch-down. Her teammates were hoisting her up into the air as Coach passed her the game ball. The bleachers emptied as the crowd swelled onto the field to celebrate the victory—she was the strongest teenager in the world. She shouldered a tracker-trailer into the air and grinned in delight as hundreds cheered and took her picture—she was brushing out her vibrant red hair, taking care to make sure there wasn't a strand out of place. She applied a little eye shadow and lip gloss and smiled prettily into her mirror—her whole body was on fire and yet she felt numb at the same time. Her hands were bleeding furiously and than she felt nothing but rage. What had they done to her? A horrendous cry rose from the back of her throat and—_

Rogue's eyes snapped open. She was panting heavily as if she had just run some sort of race. She willed her racing heart to calm down as she sat up and took in her surroundings. She was in her bed, in her room at the Mansion. Across the room, Kitty's bed was made and her clothes for the day were laid out. There was no football team, no arena of screaming fans, she was alone and she was Rogue.

She sighed heavily and sunk back down on to her bed. It hadn't been the first time that she had had a dream like this. After her powers had manifested they came every once in a while, always startling her with how vivid they were, how real they felt. They were the repressed memories of people she had absorbed in the past, people she had touched. It seemed it wasn't enough that remnants of them floated around in her head during the day, distracting her at inconvenient times; they had to haunt her during the night too, when she was most vulnerable to them. Psyches, that's what Professor Xavier called them. Rogue on the other hand called them what they really were: pests.

Glancing over at her digital clock, she noticed that it was 6:30 and decided it was time to get out of bed and get ready for school. There was nothing she could do about the dream now and soon it would be little more than a bad memory. She reluctantly rolled out of bed and walked over to her dresser to pick out her clothes. Rogue avoided looking at herself in the mirror, knowing she probably looked pale and exhausted as usual, with her hair sticking up every which way. It wasn't a pretty picture.

The door to her room opened suddenly and Kitty strolled in, towels wrapped around her body and her hair. "Oh good, you're up," she said cheerily when she saw Rogue. She made her way to her bed. "I forgot my clothes," she explained needlessly, gathering them up.

Rogue just looked at her blankly. Sometimes she wondered how anyone could be that perky in the morning.

"Oh and the shower's free once I get out," the petite girl added. She was back out the door before Rogue could really comprehend what she had said.

Shaking the fog out of her head, she gathered up her wardrobe for the day and other hygienic necessities and trudged down the hall to the bathroom. She stood outside it in the hallway, and was glad that the other X-Men were all either in their own rooms getting ready or down in the kitchen eating breakfast. Rogue really wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone just yet. Once she took a hot shower and woke up a bit she would be her perfectly moody self, but before that was a whole 'nother story entirely.

Kitty emerged a couple of minutes later looking as fresh as a daisy. "All yours, Rogue," she announced, smiling pleasantly at her.

"Thanks," Rogue mumbled, before stepping into the bathroom, locking the door behind her, and switching the sign to 'Occupied'. She quickly stripped off her rumbled night clothes and stepped into the shower. Hot water blasted out of the shower head, spilling out onto her body, making her sigh with pleasure. Despite wanting to stay like this all day, Rogue quickly soaped up, washed her hair, and rinsed off. She shut off the water and stuck her hand outside to feel around for her towel. She grabbed hold of it and stepped out of the shower and onto the white tiled floor of the bathroom. After drying off she dressed in a pair of dark jeans with holes at the knees and a purple tunic shirt that fell slightly off the shoulder.

Finally, Rogue cleaned off the steam on the mirror with her sleeve to look at herself for the first time that morning. Her reflection looked pale and withdrawn and she averted her eyes. She brushed her teeth and put her makeup on, applying the thick eye shadow and lipstick that kept people away from her, kept her safe. When she was done she slipped on her black gloves, the things that kept them safe.

She left the bathroom and reentered her and Kitty's room. The room was empty and Rogue guessed that her roommate was already downstairs. _Where Ah should probably be,_ she thought, glancing at her clock again. If she wanted any sort of sustenance before she left for school she had to get to the kitchen before Kurt and Evan ate it all. She quickly blow dried her hair straight and grabbed her book bag. Without bothering to make her bed, she left the room and headed downstairs in the direction of the Mansion's kitchen.

All of the Mansion's occupants were in the kitchen when she got there, except the Professor and Storm. There was a chorus of "Good morning Rogue"s to which she merely grumbled a half audible "Mornin' " to before she dropped into a seat near the head of the table next to Scott. Logan, who sat at the head of the table, lifted his eyes up briefly from his newspaper, looking like he had something to say to her, before furrowing his brow and lowering her eyes once more. Rogue glanced at him confusedly before shrugging and helping herself to some toast.

"Pass the eggs, please," she said, pouring some coffee into a mug.

Jean telekinetically sent the eggs to her which Rogue rolled her eyes. "Thanks," she said, nonetheless.

"Sleep well last night, Rogue?" Scott asked her amiably.

Rogue felt her cheeks grow warm and had to stop herself from smiling in return. Scott was always so nice to her. "Well, enough," she replied as nonchalantly as she could. "Thanks for askin'," she added quietly.

He smiled at her and Rogue felt her heart speed up rapidly. She turned away from him and went back to her breakfast.

"Where are Storm and the Professor this morning?" Jean asked Logan.

He flipped to the next page of his paper. "They're checkin' on somethin' in Cerebro. Seems it found a new mutant last night," he told them. Here he paused and glance significantly at Rogue again. She put her mug that she had been drinking from down as he continued. "Charles wants you to report down there after you finish breakfast, Stripes."

Rogue frowned. "Why?"

Logan folded his newspaper back together. "Seems that he wants you to go on a little recruitment mission."

Everyone seemed surprised at this, though no one more so than Rogue. "He wants me to go? But Ah never go on recruitment missions," she pointed out. It was usually Jean's job as she was much more of a people person than Rogue. Plus, Rogue was still new to the Institute and to being a mutant. What was she supposed to say to persuade this person to join?

Logan shrugged. "I'm just the messenger," he said, taking a gulp of hot coffee out of his cup.

"At least you get a day off from school," Kurt said, obviously wishing it was him instead.

"Yeah, man," Evan agreed. "Have any big math tests today, Rogue?"

Rogue ignored both of them as she thought about what kind of mission would require her to go. She couldn't really think of anything though. She was about to get up and go down to see the Professor when Logan growled at her. "Finish your breakfast," he said sternly, looking pointedly at the half eaten toast in her plate. Rogue sent him a nasty look to which he paid no attention to.

Reluctantly she finished the rest of her food before saying a quick goodbye to everyone and making her way to the underbelly of the mansion. No one would know just by looking at the Institute that the "basement" was actually larger than the house itself, equipped with a training room, a hangar bay, a Med bay, and numerous other things.

Rogue entered the room that held Cerebro in it but stopped short at the sight of the Professor and Ms. Munroe having what looked to be a serious discussion.

She cleared her throat quietly. "You wanted to see me, Professor?" she asked uncertainly.

Both Xavier and Storm turned to look at her. "Ah, yes, Rogue," the Professor said, looking pleased to see her. "Good morning."

Rogue responded in kind with a good morning to each other them before getting straight to the point. "Logan said you had some sort of mission for me?" she queried, moving further into the room.

"Yes. A recruitment mission to be exact," he answered. He rolled over to the large computer attached to Cerebro. "Late last night, or early this morning I suspect, Cerebro picked up the signature of a new mutant whose powers have just manifested." He brought up the image of a young man, age 17, the screen said. He was handsome with longish auburn hair, and the most intriguing red and black eyes. "His name is Remy LeBeau," the Professor continued. "And he lives in New Orleans, Louisiana."

Rogue's ears perked up at the name of one of the most famous southern cities, but she was still uncertain about the whole thing. "And you want _me_ to go and persuade him to join the Institute?"

"Precisely," he said, chuckling at her expression. "Don't worry, Rogue. You won't be going alone. Storm will be accompanying you," he informed her, gesturing to Ms. Munroe. "Ororo has been acquainted with the LeBeau family for some time now and be of great assistance, I'm sure."

Rogue was still a little wary. "Wouldn't Jean or even Scott be better for this?" she asked bluntly. "Ah'm not exactly the best when it comes to dealin' with people, Professor."

"I assure you, Rogue," Storm spoke for the first time. "You will find that you and Remy have much in common. Also, hearing our pitch from a fellow Southerner might appeal to him more than if he were to hear it from Jean or Scott."

"Ah guess," she conceded. Rogue took a moment to herself to consider everything. Then she sighed. "Alright, when do we leave?"

"As soon as possible," Xavier said brightly, obviously happy that she had agreed to go. "I would suggest packing a few changes of clothes to bring with you as the mission might be a couple of days long. Also, although you don't have to wear your uniform there, I would recommend that you bring it. Just incase," he added, his eyes twinkling.

Rogue was surprised and a little suspicious to hear that the mission might take more than a day or so. "Ah'll probably miss a couple days of school then," she remarked casually.

"Yes, you might. I shall make the proper excuses for you, of course," he told her. He started rolling towards the doors of the room. "Now, if you would please go and pack. Storm will fill you in on _all_ the details on the way to Louisiana."

A look passed between the Professor and Storm, one of disagreement on Storm's part. It was gone so quickly though, that Rogue wasn't sure if she had imagined it or not.

"I will meet you at the X-Jet in 15 minutes, Rogue," Storm said. She swept past Xavier and out of the room quickly.

At the door, the Professor turned towards her again. "Good luck, Rogue," he said brightly. "And try not to worry. You will do great, I am sure." He gave her a reassuring smile before also exiting the room.

Rogue stayed where she was as the doors slid closed. It wasn't like she had been especially looking forward to school, but sometimes, Rogue just wished her life was normal. Wake up, go to school, hang out with friends, eat dinner with a normal, loving family, do homework, go to sleep. No early morning Danger Room sessions, no surprise missions, no roommates who can walk through walls, no having to protect herself at every moment of the day. She was bitter she knew, but that didn't stop her from wishing.

Rogue looked up at the picture of Remy LeBeau that was still on the screen. How had his powers manifested, she wondered. Had the experience been as traumatic and confusing for him as it had been for her, she wanted to know. Suddenly, she felt a wave of sympathy for the guy. Had he been thrust out of a normal life and into the life of a mutant? Rogue knew how it felt. _Ah've been there before. Ah should at least try to help this guy out,_ Rogue thought to herself. She decided that she would attempt to drop her attitude a bit and help Remy out in whatever way she could. After all, if he was Storm's friend, how bad could he be?

With that final thought, Rogue headed up to her room to pack for the mission.

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**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed the prologue! I'm glad I sparked some interest! So, I'm doing this with limited accents, unlike my previous stories. I'm setting this up like what I would imagine an episode could have been like. Anyway, let me know what you guys think of it so far! And don't worry, Remy will be making his appearances shortly!!

Please review!!

~Melissa


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary: **AU. ROMY. A young thief named Remy Lebeau's powers manifest in New Orleans and Professor Xavier sends Rogue and Storm to recruit him to join the X-Men. His family, however, is not so willing to let him go. Takes place between Season 1 and 2 of X-Men Evolution.

* * *

Chapter 2

_The first two things he was aware of were that his body hurt all over and his hands felt like they had been burned. As he slowly gained consciousness, the pain became so intense that he almost screamed out loud. Instead, he uttered a low groan and shifted his position. The softness of the bed he was lying on was lost to him as the pain overwhelmed him. _

_"Frére?" a gentle voice whispered and Remy recognized it as his brother's. _

_"Henri?" he asked, hoarsely. His mouth was so dry that his tongue felt like sandpaper against the roof of his mouth. His eyes were still tightly shut. He didn't know if he had the strength to open them. _

_"Drink this, Remy," his brother commanded. He tilted Remy's chin a little. "Tante says it's for the pain," he explained, tipping some of the liquid into Remy's mouth. He sputtered a bit but tried to swallow as much as he could. _

_He began to feel tired again. "Henri?" he asked again, sleepily. _

_"Sleep, petite frère," Henri said, laying a cool hand on Remy's hot forehead. _

_Henri's voice was the last thing he heard before slipping back into the black oblivion. _

_

* * *

  
_

"Engage autopilot," Storm commanded, her hands on the controls of the X-Jet.

"Engaging autopilot, now," a mechanical female voice responded. The controls locked in place as the autopilot was engaged.

From her seat in the co-pilot's seat, Rogue stared off into space as clouds rushed by the window. Storm looked over at her, a bit concerned.

"Are you alright, Rogue?" she asked.

Storm's voice snapped her out of her stupor and she turned to her. "Ah'm okay," she said. "Just a little nervous."

Storm nodded and Rogue thought that the older woman looked a bit uneasy herself. "There are a few things that you should know before we get to Louisiana, Rogue," she said hesitantly.

Rogue eyed her warily. "Like what?"

"Well, the LeBeau's aren't an…ordinary family," Storm explained. Rogue could tell that she was choosing her words very carefully. "The family is very large and almost everyone in involved in the…family business."

"Which is?" Rogue prompted.

"Well, they have clients…who pay them for the…retrieval of certain objects and—,"

"They're thieves," Rogue said slowly as the truth came to her.

Storm sighed. "Yes," she conceded. "Remy and his family are thieves. They are part of a very secret organization called the Thieves Guild, which Remy's father, Jean-Luc, is the head of. I did not wish to tell you this, as I felt it would complicate the mission but Professor Xavier insisted—,"

"The Thieves Guild?" Rogue asked, interrupting Storm again. "Ah've heard of the Thieves Guild. Ah thought it was just a myth though," she said, looking at Storm questioningly.

"Many people think the same as you, but the Guild does in fact exist," the weather witch confirmed.

Rogue scrutinized her closely. "How do you know all this, Ms. Munroe?"

The black woman turned her gaze to the front window, looking straight ahead. "I was once part of the Guild," she confessed quietly.

Rogue's eyes widened in shock. She brushed a haphazard strand of hair out of her eyes as she tried to image the elegant Storm dressed in all black, stealing some priceless piece of art.

"You were a thief?" she blurted out, before realizing how rude she sounded. "Ah mean, Ah—,"

"No, it's quite alright, Rogue," Storm said, turning back to her. She nodded. "Yes, I was a thief once, for a somewhat brief amount of time. It was many years ago," she told Rogue, a nostalgic look in her eyes. "Somehow or another I had lost my memory. Jean-Luc helped me out of a rather tough spot and took me in. He gave me a home with the Guild."

Storm halted her story and looked Rogue square in the eye. "They're not bad people, Rogue. I hope you will be able to see that. Most of the members have been thieves their whole lives. They know nothing else."

Rogue knew that Storm was asking her not to judge her friends and Rogue could honestly say she didn't plan to. "It sounds kinda excitin', to tell the truth," she admitted.

Ororo smiled distantly. "Yes it was a very exciting time in my life," she said softly. She seemed to be stuck in her memories again before her eyes refocused on Rogue again. "But that was a long time ago and we have more important things to discuss," Storm said, getting back down to business. "If you have heard of the Thieves Guild, then perhaps you have heard of their enemies, the Assassins Guild?"

Rogue nodded. Anyone who had heard of the Thieves Guild had heard of the Assassins. The story went that, long ago, one of the guilds had betrayed the other, resulting in a large bloodshed. It wasn't exactly clear which guild had started it but ever since then there existed a huge animosity between them. "Ah can't believe that all the stories are true," Rogue said, slightly in awe. "Back in Mississippi, the Thieves and the Assassins are like the boogieman. Parents would tell their kids, 'If you don't go to bed the Assassins'll come after you,' jokingly. But they're really real."

"Yes, and they're both extremely dangerous," Storm interjected, commanding Rogue's attention. "Whatever we do, we must strive to keep out of their petty war. Our mission is to convince Remy to join the Institute. With convincing Remy, we also have to convince his father. Now, Jean-Luc is not going to be very keen on letting Remy go, but that is where I come in," she said. "I have known Jean-Luc for many years now and will hopefully be able to persuade him."

"Does that mean you're leavin' the job of persuadin' Remy up to me?" Rogue asked doubtfully.

"Yes, mostly," Storm replied. "I would just advise you to be careful. Remy is quite the snake charmer," she informed her, though her countenance softened.

"Ah doubt that'll be a problem with me, Storm," Rogue said dryly.

The older woman's eyes twinkled. "We'll see," she responded, her lips curving into a faint smile.

* * *

_In his dreams he was 5-years-old again. The other children at the orphanage wouldn't play cards with him because they were scared of his eyes. The other kids had normal blue or brown on white eyes but not him. Every time he looked in the mirror his red on black eyes looked back at him. _

_Devil eyes, the orphanage caretaker Ms. Robichaud called them. She steered clear of him too. _

_He didn't blame her. He knew he was different. It was a lonely childhood but he learned to overcome it. _

_He played solitaire instead. _

_Something was wrong though. The card lit up, surrounded by a magenta glow, and suddenly he was 17 again, back at the museum, holding his glove in his hand. His instincts kicked in and he threw the glove away into the darkness where it exploded like fireworks. His brother was yelling his name over his headset but the explosion from his other glove, the fire on his hand, overwhelmed him and he fell into the abyss.  
_

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**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews! You guys are the greatest! Also, thanks to everyone who put me and/or this story on their favorites list or alert list! This is a little shorter than the first chapter but that's only because it's a transition into the next one. Now I'm kind of taking liberty with Storm's background but I know that in some X-men universes she was actually a thief. Anyway, let me know what you guys think!

Please review!!

~Melissa


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary: **AU. ROMY. A young thief named Remy Lebeau's powers manifest in New Orleans and Professor Xavier sends Rogue and Storm to recruit him to join the X-Men. His family, however, is not so willing to let him go. Takes place between Season 1 and 2 of X-Men Evolution.

* * *

Chapter 3

They landed in a clearing on the outskirts of New Orleans sometime around 11 a.m.. As Rogue descended down the ramp from the X-Jet, backpack over one shoulder, the air seemed to close in around her, making her feel even more suffocated than usual in her clothes. The area they had landed in was typical Louisiana; humid, buggy, and swampy.

Rogue wrinkled her nose slightly. "Bayou country," she muttered disdainfully. She much preferred the gentle, flowing rivers of her own home state of Mississippi.

"You got somet'ing against the bayou, _fille_?" a voice to her left inquired.

Rogue stiffened and quickly shifted to face the questioner, ready to defend herself if necessary. A man of maybe 5'6 stood a couple feet away from her. He wore nondescript clothing and had short, dark red hair. The only distinguishing thing about him was the playful expression that had fixed itself onto his face. Rogue was just about to ask him who he was when Storm came down the exit ramp.

"Emil!" she exclaimed. "It is wonderful to see you," she said sincerely, gathering the short man into a hug.

"Always good to see you, too, 'Ro," the man, Emil, said in a thick Cajun accent, returning her hug.

"Thank you for coming to meet us on such short notice."

Emil waved away her thanks. "M' pleasure, chére. And might I add, you look as _belle_ as you ever do," he complimented, grinning widely.

Storm shook her head fondly. "You Cajuns and your flattery." She gestured to Rogue who had stayed silent, watching their exchange. "Emil, this is Rogue. Rogue, this is Emil Lapin, one of Remy's cousins."

Emil's gaze slid over to Rogue who uttered a polite, "Nice to meet you," before sliding back to Storm expectantly. Storm returned his look blankly before hastily saying, "She knows everything, Emil. Don't worry. She's completely trustworthy."

He considered that, his expression remaining unchanged. "Well, any friend of Storm's is a friend of the Thieves Guild," he said, almost cautiously Rouge thought. His features brightened. "Even if she don't like the bayou," he said, raising an eyebrow. Rogue grimaced sheepishly, making the thief laugh heartily. Rogue relaxed and smiled slightly, hoping Emil's cousin had a similar disposition.

"So, I'm guessin' you heard about Remy?" Emil asked Storm, his expression becoming more solemn.

"Yes, I called Jean-Luc about coming the minute I learned that Remy's powers had manifested," Storm admitted. "How is he, Emil?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

Emily shook his head dolefully. "He's in a lot of pain. Tante made him somet'ing to help with it, but he's been sleepin' for a long time so nobody's really sure it's workin'," he said, motioning for them to follow him.

"What happened exactly? Does anyone know?" Storm inquired, as they walked through the thick Louisiana marshland.

He shook his head again. "I t'ink only Remy knows the whole story. We were on a heist. One minute evert'ing was fine, but then I heard Remy soundin' like he was hurt. Henri was yellin' and the next t'ing I know, the museum's explodin'! We was lucky to get out of there with Remy before the cops arrived."

Rogue and Storm digested this as they continued to follow Emil. They emerged out from a thick grove of cypress trees to see a stunning, white Southern antebellum mansion. Rogue paused for a moment but realized this must be their destination when Emil and Storm kept walking towards it. She hurried to keep up with them.

"Is this where you live?" Rogue asked, awestruck. Even the Institute couldn't compare to this.

"For the most part," he answered vaguely. "Welcome to the headquarters of the Thieves Guild, _mademoiselle_."

* * *

_Remy awoke the second time to a dull throbbing in his hands. He groaned and blearily opened his eyes, taking in the comforting sights of his room. He was alone and his wished he could lean back and relax for a second, however, the burning sensation in his hands was not to be ignored. _

_Instead of diminishing, the throbbing grew stronger. Remy began to panic. Just like last time, the energy had to be released. He could already detect a faint glowing around the bandages of his hands. _

_He gasped as the pain intensified and wildly looked around for a host object. One of the pillows on his bed seemed like the perfect victim. As soon as Remy had grasped it with both hands the pillow took on the same magenta glow he vaguely remembered his gloves had taken on. Recalling what had happened after the glow, Remy quickly chucked the pillow from him. Apparently, though, it hadn't been quick enough and the pillow exploded in mid-air, the force of it, shoving Remy into his headboard, knocking him unconscious once again. _

_

* * *

  
_

There hadn't been anyone to greet them when they entered the mansion, and the house was so quiet you would have been able to hear a pin drop. Rogue wondered if that was just because they were thieves and used to being quiet or because there was actually no one home. Emil led them up the grand staircase, and Rogue suspected he was bringing them straight to Remy.

"I've gotta warn you, 'Ro," Emil started hesitantly as they walked. "Jean-Luc agreed to let you come, but for some reason he didn't seem too keen on the idea."

"I didn't think he would be," Ororo admitted. She didn't seem too concerned about that, however. "You just let me deal with Jean-Luc, Emil."

The man nodded in response. Suddenly, a loud explosion sounded from somewhere in the mansion, forcing Rogue on her guard.

"Oh, no," Emil groaned, his body tense. "Not again."

He started hustling down the hallway towards the source of the noise. Rogue and Storm hurried to keep up with him.

"What was that?" Rogue asked him.

"That was Remy," Emil answered tersely.

Rogue and Storm exchanged a glance and the three of them picked up their pace. As soon as they rounded a corner into a hallway filled with smoke, Rogue knew they were in the right place. Emil led them to a door blown off its hinges, and Rogue held her breath, afraid of what they'd find when they went inside.

Instead of the horrifying mess she'd imagined, however, the scene inside the room was almost funny. Tiny white feathers were raining down on them, coating everything around them. Rogue blew some feathers out of her face and focused on the lanky figure on the bed. Emil rushed over to check the boy's pulse. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Still breathin'," he announced, checking him over for wounds. "T'ink he was just knocked unconscious."

Storm had moved over to the other side of the bed to check on Remy herself, leaving Rogue to stand awkwardly at the foot of the bed. She looked down at the young man on the bed, taking in his features. His shaggy hair was a shade redder, and looked even longer, than hers, and pulled back into a ponytail. It fit him, she decided. His face was set with harsh lines and angles but they only made him seem more…beautiful.

"It looks like he might have hit his head," Storm told them, gently fingering the back of Remy's head.

She must have touched a sensitive area because Remy let out a low groan, stirring.

"Remy?" his cousin asked hopefully.

Remy's eyes fluttered open and Rogue gasped softly. She had seen his eyes this morning, but the hologram Cerebro had shown her hadn't done them justice. The red on black was a startling combination on his handsome face, but like his hair, they just seemed to…fit. The two scarlet orbs locked onto her face but remained, like he wasn't seeing her clearly.

"_Un ange_," he voice rasped out, still looking at her.

Rogue blushed and looked down in self consciousness. She knew enough French to know that he had just called her an angel. No one had ever called her that, unless you counted when she and Scott performed _Henry V_ for their English class, and she didn't count that. She glanced back to him. He was still gazing dreamily at her.

"_Un ange_," he repeated again, less steadily this time, his eyes falling closed as he slipped into unconsciousness again.

Rogue continued to study him until she became aware of Storm and Emil exchanging amused glances.

"It must have been the feathers," Storm commented, smiling at Rogue.

Rogue felt her cheeks grow warm again and cursed inwardly. What was happening to her? The Rogue didn't blush or think some Cajun swamp rat was beautiful. _Snap out of it!_

Emil grinned. "Wow, the effect Remy can have on women even half-conscious," he mused, shaking his head. "Now _that's_ the kind of power I wish I had."

Storm rolled her eyes and left Remy's bedside. "Come, Emil. Let us go and find Jean-Luc. I must speak with him about Remy."

"Do you t'ink you can help him, Ororo?" Emil asked, gazing down at his cousin with what Rogue could tell was true concern.

"Yes," Storm told him confidently. "Part of my job is helping young mutants, like Remy, learn to control their powers. Otherwise, they become a danger to themselves and everyone around them."

_Like me_, Rogue thought bitterly. Sometimes she felt like the only one at the Institute who couldn't control their powers. Sure, Scott couldn't stop the flow of his optic blasts but at least he had his glasses. And yeah, maybe sometimes Evan couldn't help when his spikes shot out but he had never hurt anyone. He hadn't knocked people unconscious like Rogue had.

Emil nodded. "Right," he said, clasping his hands together. "Well, Remy should be okay for now as long as he don't wake up and explode somet'ing again. Jean-Luc should be in his office. You already got me convinced…"

"Now we just need to convince him," Storm finished, a determined gleam in her eye.

Storm followed Emil out of the room and Rogue took one last glance at Remy before stepping out into the hallway after them. As Emil escorted them to his office, Rogue wondered what kind of man this Jean-Luc was. Both Storm and Emil seemed sure that he would object to Remy going to the Institute, which Rogue just didn't understand. After all, what kind of father wouldn't want to see to it that his child was given the opportunity to get help when they needed it the most?

* * *

**A/N: I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story so far. Thanks to the 8 people who reviewed!! I really do love to read your guys' reviews so please if you're reading, just review and let me know what you think! I'm not actually sure if Remy has a cousin named Emil but I've seen him in a couple stories so I thought I'd put him in this one. And Remy and Rogue have met! Sort of. Lol. More with them next chapter I think. **

**My Remy is not exactly the Remy in X-Men Evolution. I wish I was a good drawer but I'm not. He's kind of a cross between the Gambit from the original animated series and the one in X-Men Evolution but younger looker.  
**

** Anyway, I should be updating on Tuesday but if I get enough reviews, I'll consider bumping that up to Monday! =) So please, please, please, press the little green button!! It wants your love, lol. **

**Thanks guys,**

**~Melissa  
**


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary: **AU. ROMY. A young thief named Remy Lebeau's powers manifest in New Orleans and Professor Xavier sends Rogue and Storm to recruit him to join the X-Men. His family, however, is not so willing to let him go. Takes place between Season 1 and 2 of X-Men Evolution.

* * *

Chapter 4

There was something about Jean-Luc LeBeau that Rogue immediately took a disliking to. It might have been that for the warm greeting he gave Storm, it was obvious to Rogue by the cold gleam in his eyes that he wasn't pleased to see her. Or maybe it was his smile that seemed sinister to her when Storm introduced Rogue as one of the students from the Institute. It could have just been the stupid little mustache he sported. It kind of reminded her of the kind of mustache the villains have in those old silent movies where there's a girl tied to the tracks of an oncoming train. For whatever reason it was, Rogue felt uneasy from the moment she stepped into Jean-Luc's office.

"My, my, Ororo, you're still as radiant as you were 15 years ago when we first met," Jean-Luc was saying. He was a man of about 5'8 with brown eyes and hair but Rogue couldn't really detect any resemblance to Remy in him.

"You say that every time we get together, Jean-Luc," Storm said dryly, smiling pleasantly at Jean-Luc from where she and Rogue were sitting across the desk from him.

"And you know I mean it every time," he insisted. "Oh, 'Ro, you been up North for too long. Why don't you come back to the Guild? We could sure use your skills again, _chére_!"

"I've told you before, Jean-Luc," Storm said gently, but firmly. "My days as a thief are over."

Jean-Luc shrugged nonchalantly, but Rogue thought she could detect a little irritation in his countenance. "Can't blame a man for tryin'," he said. He turned his attention to Rogue and she suddenly understood how prey must feel when cornered by a predator. "And how are you likin' our headquarters so far, Miss Rogue?" he asked her politely.

"It's a beautiful house, Mr. LeBeau," Rogue answered truthfully, fighting off the urge to squirm under his gaze.

"Please, call me Jean-Luc! And it is, isn't it? It was built pre-civil war and acquired by my ancestors shortly after," he elaborated proudly. "It's one of the last antebellum mansions in New Orleans."

Storm cut into his attempt at small talk. "Excuse me, Jean-Luc, but it is imperative that I speak to you about Remy."

"What about him?" he asked casually. He leaned back in his desk chair, as if he didn't have a son lying unconscious upstairs, and waved away her words. "We can talk about him later, 'Ro. I'm sure Rogue here would like a tour of the house."

"The tour will have to wait, I'm afraid," Ororo told him resolutely. "Remy's condition is very dangerous, Jean-Luc. He is a danger to himself and others without control of his powers. If you will allow him to come with us back to Professor Xavier's Institute—,"

"_Non_," Jean-Luc interrupted, serious now. "Remy and his powers are most needed with the Guild. His place is here with his family."

"I don't think you understand, Jean-Luc," Storm said patiently. "Without control of his powers, Remy could do catastrophic damage. I saw pictures of the destruction at the museum. He could destroy this house without even meaning to!"

"So, you come down here and tutor him for a little while," Jean-Luc suggested, with a casual one shoulder shrug.

"I am sorry, my friend, but I have responsibilities in Bayville that I cannot just drop." She paused and looked sincerely at Jean-Luc. "I would watch over him, Jean-Luc. As if he were one of my own."

"_Non_," Jean-Luc repeated, shaking his head. "Remy belongs here. The Guild needs him."

"What about what Remy needs?" Rogue asked hotly, breaking her silence. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Didn't he want what was best for his son?

She hadn't meant to say her thoughts out loud but realized she had when Jean-Luc looked at her coldly and replied, "Of course, I want what's best for my son. And what's best for him is to stay in Louisiana."

Rogue opened her mouth to argue that point, but Storm put a hand on her forearm, halting her words. Rogue pulled away almost immediately, uncomfortable with the contact, and looked at Storm questioningly. Storm ignored her however, and focused on Jean-Luc.

"Alright, I see you won't be persuaded otherwise," Storm conceded. "You are Remy's father and we will, of course, respect your wishes."

Rogue's brow furrowed. What was Storm doing? They hadn't even made a strong case yet. Had they come all this way for nothing? If the smug expression on Jean-Luc's face was any indication, they had.

Storm continued, "Would you mind very much if we stayed the night, my friend? It's been a few years since I've seen you all last and I would like to visit for a bit, if I may?"

Jean-Luc smiled, good humor restored now that he had successfully fended off both of them. "Not'ing would please me more, chére. Mattie was so excited to hear you was comin' that she's plannin' a big dinner for us all later. We would all be honored to have you and Rogue there," he said, tipping his head in Rogue's direction.

"Then we will be there," Storm told him, rising from her chair. Rogue and Jean-Luc followed suit.

"Excellent," Jean-Luc said, pressing a button on his desk. "Now, I have some work to do, but Lapin will show you _dames _to your rooms. If you need anyt'ing though, don't be 'fraid to ask."

"Of course, thank you," Storm said, nodding. The door opened behind them and Emil stood in the entryway.

As Storm and Rogue filed out, Rogue caught a glimpse of that predatory gleam again on Jean-Luc's face and prayed that she wasn't the target of it. Outside in the hallway, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and was at once glad to be out of the guild master's cold presence. She now knew why she had taken an instant disliking to Jean-Luc. It was because, despite what Storm had said earlier about the members of the guild, it was clear to Rogue that Jean-Luc LeBeau was not a good person.

"Ah don't get it, Storm," Rogue whispered furiously to Ororo as Emil led them down the corridor. "Ah thought you said you had Jean-Luc all taken care of! You barely put up a fight at all!"

"I assure you, Rogue, that contrary to what I just told Jean-Luc, I have no intention of dropping this," Storm asserted. "I have not even begun to fight," she added, giving Rogue a wink.

Rogue nodded, feeling slightly better now that she knew Storm hadn't given up. She couldn't imagine how she would get Jean-Luc to agree to allow Remy to go to the Institute. He'd made it clear that he was dead set against it and basically outright refused to give it any consideration. Besides, who even knew whether Remy himself would want to join?

The more Rogue thought about it, the more she wanted to be able to convince Remy to come to the Institute. Surely if Remy really wanted to go, Jean-Luc would let him? Or was his father so cruel he would deny his son the ability to make his own choices?

"What's Jean-Luc's problem, anyway?" Rogue asked curiously. "Ah mean, sure it's across the country and everythin', but Professor Xavier can help Remy. Why can't Jean-Luc see that?"

"I'm not sure," Storm told her, her expression contemplative. "I knew Jean-Luc would be difficult but I did not expect this strong of a refusal." She looked ahead of them to where Emil was not-so-subtly eavesdropping on their conversation. "Emil?" she asked him. He stopped and looked at them innocently. "Do you have any idea why Jean-Luc is being so stubborn?"

Emil shrugged casually and scratched the back of his head. "Maybe, I have some t'eories," he admitted.

"Care to share them?" Rogue asked, hand on her hip.

Rogue ignored him as he eyed her up and down appreciatively before he finally said, "Oui, but not here. Follow me," he instructed, turning back around and continuing down the hallway. The three of them went up another flight of stairs and down another hallway until Emil finally stopped. He opened the door to the room for Rogue and Storm and they stepped into a spacious bedroom. "You're usual quarters, 'Ro," Emil told her, flopping onto a couch to one side of the room.

"Thank you, Emil," Storm said warmly, dropping her bag on the bed. "Now, if you would, please tell us what your 'theories' are."

* * *

_His angel, as he thought of her now, was in his dreams. Her beautiful, pale face, framed by white locks of hair, gently blowing in a non-existent breeze. Feathers floated around her, making her look ethereal in the white light. Her pale green eyes locked onto his and he edged closer to her. _

_She graced him with a small smile, and he grinned like a fool in response. _

_He was close enough to touch her now and he raised his right hand up to cup her face, but his hand passed right through her, like she wasn't even there. He stared in shock at his hand before returning his gaze to hers searchingly. _

_His angel was sad now, a single tear falling from her eye and the sight of it stabbed at his heart. He would give anything to see her smile again. So, he reached up again to wipe away the tear, but she moved away from him and shook her head desolately. Her eyes pleaded with him to understand. _

_He did, of course. An angel as beautiful and as pure as she, could never have anything to do with someone like him. _

_A devil could never touch an angel.

* * *

_

"'kay, well, remember, this is just speculation on my part," Emil started, looking at both of them, "But we've all noticed how…_off_, Jean-Luc has been since Etienne passed."

Rogue shot Storm an inquiring look from her place on Storm's bed. "Jean-Luc's nephew, Etienne Marceaux," Storm told her sadly, sitting next to Emil on the couch. "He passed away 2 years ago. Only 14 years old."

"Ah'm sorry," Rogue said sincerely to Emil.

He tipped his head in acknowledgment. "Now, Jean-Luc has somehow got it in his head that the Assassins had somet'ing to do with his death."

"But, Emil, we all know that—,"

"Yeah, well, when Jean-Luc's got somet'ing in his head, not'ing will deter him," Emil interrupted brusquely. "He's been wantin' to go after the Assassins for a while, and now he t'inks he's got a valid reason and the means to do it. You saw what Remy's powers can do," he shrugged.

"Jean-Luc would use Remy's powers to get revenge on the Assassins?" Rogue asked, outraged, looking from Storm to Emil and back again.

Storm looked doubtful. "I really do not believe that Jean-Luc would do such a thing."

Emil scoffed. "Believe it. Jean-Luc would do just about anyt'ing to get the one-up on the Assassins."

"Even use his own son?" Storm asked, disbelievingly. She shook her head. "Can he really have changed so much in just a few years?"

The three of them sat in a contemplative silence for a couple moments. Rogue was astounded, and a bit disgusted, that one man could be as selfish and manipulative as Jean-Luc. Storm seemed equally shocked that the man she had known to be such a good friend could turn out to be so cold-hearted. Even Emil looked a bit helpless.

"What can we do?" Rogue asked finally.

"_Je suis desolé, chére_," Emil said glumly. "As a member of the guild, I can't contest Jean-Luc's will."

"Is there anyone he might be willin' to listen to?"

"He might listen to Henri," Storm answered. "His other son. And Tante Mattie might be able to knock some sense into him."

"Who's that? His sister?" asked Rogue.

"_Non_, Tante Mattie's our housekeeper," Emil replied, grinning broadly.

* * *

Remy was only disorientated for a moment or two when he woke up this time. He couldn't remember who or what he'd been dreaming about. All that was left over was a residual feeling of sadness. He shook himself out of it and took stock of his body. The throbbing in his hands had diminished so that the only pain he felt was from his original injuries. The bandages of his hands were rather bloody, and he didn't doubt that he would have scars from this for the rest of his life. The thought was numbing.

As for the rest of his body, aside from a small bump on the back of his head, strangely enough, Remy felt fine. He felt alive, like all his cells were thrumming with life. He slowly swung his feet to touch the floor and had to fight back only a brief dizzy spell. Managing to drag himself to his bathroom, he splashed some water on his face and the coolness of it felt refreshing against his hot skin.

He braced his hands gingerly on the sink and looked at his reflection in the mirror.

He looked like hell. His red hair was scraggly and coming out of its ponytail and his face looked haggard and pale. _Not your best look, LeBeau_, he thought, redoing his ponytail, gently as not to irritate his hands.

He felt almost absurdly calm given the situation he was currently in. But looking at his demon eyes in the mirror, he realized that he'd always been waiting for this moment: The moment when he discovered that he wasn't completely human. And now that the moment had finally arrived he wasn't sure what he felt. He was absolutely terrified and anxious and yet utterly curious and fascinated at the same time.

His stomach grumbled insistently and Remy realized he hadn't eaten anything since dinner; he looked at his watch, 16 hours ago. He slipped on some comfortable clothes and left his room, barely batting an eye at the sight of his bedroom door blown off its hinges. He made his way to the kitchen to where he could hopefully find a before dinner snack and someone to tell him what the hell was happening to him.

* * *

"Don't you worry dat pretty lil' head of yours, Ororo," Tante Mattie said, chopping some vegetables and throwing them into a big pot simmering on the stove. "By dis time tomorrow Remy'll be on his way back up North with de both of you. You'll be beggin' to send him back within a week I wager," she added, with a wink to Rogue.

Completely opposite of her first impression of Jean-Luc, Rogue liked Mattie Baptiste instantly. She was a heavy set black woman in her mid-50's who acted as the guild's housekeeper, cook, medic, and quasi matriarch, as Emil had explained to Rogue. Her long black hair was peppered with grey and wrapped in an intricate style around her head. She wore a long colorful dress paired with several wooden beaded necklaces and bracelets that surprisingly didn't hinder her from chopping vegetables while she was talking to them.

"Oo, Remy loves a good gamble, Tante," a smooth voice said. Rogue was shocked to see Remy, bedridden, unconscious Remy, walk into the kitchen. He seemed fit as a fiddle and didn't notice her or Storm as he grinned at Tante Mattie and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter.

"Speak of de devil," Tante said, exchanging confused looks with Storm and Emil.

"And he shall—," Remy had finally noticed the other occupants in the kitchen and his gaze skipped right over Storm to Rogue. His eyes widened and his hand stopped moving the apple up to his open mouth. "_Mon Dieu_," he breathed, gaping at her.

Rogue swallowed and looked around self-consciously as Remy looked her up and down. She looked back at him and there he was, his red and black eyes still gawking at her. He blinked, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Instead of being self-conscious now, she was just annoyed. What was his problem?

"What're you starin' at, swamp rat?"

* * *

**A/N: Someone told me to end with a cliffie so everyone go thank that person! lol. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to post yesterday! I really meant to but I had to work all day. I hope you guys like (or dislike) my Jean-Luc! He's a jerk! I'm sorry for all the little section breaks. Let me know if they're annoying or not. There shouldn't be that many from now on since Rogue and Remy'll be on the same page mostly. The Romy action will definitely pick up from here!! **

**Thanks for your reviews guys! They really mean the world to me! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying and I hope you like this chapter. Let me know!! =)  
**

**~Melissa  
**


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary: **AU. ROMY. A young thief named Remy Lebeau's powers manifest in New Orleans and Professor Xavier sends Rogue and Storm to recruit him to join the X-Men. His family, however, is not so willing to let him go. Takes place between Season 1 and 2 of X-Men Evolution.

* * *

Chapter 5

It was impolite to stare. Remy knew that as well as anyone. But when he had entered the kitchen and become aware of its occupants, manners were the last thing on his mind. The first being that his angel had somehow manifested herself into his kitchen and was glaring at him with a less than pleased expression on her beautiful face. What was she doing here? She was even more perfect in person, despite her scowl and the heavy makeup she wore. Her auburn and white hair looked silky to the touch and he wondered what it would feel like to run his fingers through it. Her skin was pale and flawless and there was a pure fire lit in her eyes. Remy had the urge to pinch himself to see if he was still dreaming.

"What're you starin' at, swamp rat?"

She was speaking! And she was speaking to him! The disdain and irritation was clear in her inflection and he didn't particularly care for her pet name for him, but Remy decided he could look past that at the moment.

His mouth curled up into what he knew was his most charming smile. "_Desolé_, chére," he apologized. "S' not everyday Remy comes across a beautiful girl in his kitchen."

The fire in her eyes burned brighter and she opened her mouth to retort something, but Remy figured he'd be better off interrupting; no matter how much he wanted to hear her voice again.

He took a couple steps nearer to her, and, encouraged by the fact that she didn't back away, took her hand in his free one. They were both wearing gloves, he noticed idly, and he wondered what hers were for. "Allow me to introduce myself," he said, looking into her eyes. "Remy LeBeau, at your service."

He went to kiss the back of her hand but lost his bearings when she suddenly jerked her hand out of his.

"Keep your slimy paws off me!" she snapped, taking several steps back, away from him.

Remy froze. He couldn't decipher her expression. Behind the anger and the annoyance there seemed to be genuine fear, almost terror. But Remy didn't understand that. Why would she be afraid of him? But then he remembered his dream and how she had backed away from him then. Was is him or was it something else? He thought of her pleading green eyes, and thought he could see something akin to that in her eyes now.

"_Desolé_, chérie," he said again, stepping back and raising his hands in surrender. "No harm done, right?"

She looked at him and seemed to breathe easily again. Remy gave her an encouraging smile and finally turned his gaze to the other occupants in the room, one of which he was pleasantly surprised to see.

"Stormy!" he exclaimed. The dark-skinned beauty gave him a stern but amused glance and accepted his embrace.

"How many times do I have to ask you _not_ to call me that, Remy?" Ororo asked dryly, pulling back from him and raising one delicate eyebrow.

"Hmm," Remy pretended to think about it. "T'ink I'll have to get back to you on that one," he said, grinning. "What brings you to our neck of the bayou, Stormy?"

Storm rolled her eyes but began, "Well, Rogue here and myself have come on behalf of Professor Xavier—"

Remy could immediately see where she was going with this and hastily interrupted. "Rogue, huh?" he asked, finally giving in to his urge to look at his angel again. Rogue was an intriguing name. Obviously it wasn't her real one, but Remy imagined he could convince her into divulging her real name to him at some point in the near future. "Pleased to meet you, _chérie_," he said, winking at her.

She still hadn't moved back to her original spot but the frightened/angry kitten expression had left her face, replaced by a softer, more vulnerable look. At his acknowledgement she frowned and glanced at Ororo who sighed exasperatedly.

"As I was saying, we are here to see you, Remy," she told him, turning her knowing blue eyes on him at full force.

He chose to play dumb, however, knowing full well that she would see straight through it. "Here to see _moi_?" he asked playfully. "Why, Remy is flattered!"

"Remy, best be getting' back up to his bed, where he belongs," Tante Mattie interjected, brandishing her spatula in his direction. "I don' know what you be t'inkin', boy. Unconcious f'r almost twelve hours and you t'ink you can just be up and walkin' around."

"'M just fine, Tante," Remy told her, taking a bite of his apple. It was mostly the truth. His hands weren't even hurting him…Much.

"Hmph. If you's so fine, let me see dose hands o' yours. 'S time to change de bandages."

She started towards him and he panicked. He didn't want anyone to see the bloody mess his hands were at the moment. "_Non_," he said forcefully. Tante stopped and Remy realized that all eyes were on him. He forced himself to relax and put a convincing face on. "Remy already changed them himself."

"Mm hmm," Tante said. She eyed him skeptically but, thankfully for Remy, turned back to her cooking.

Out of the corner of his eye, Remy saw his cousin, who surprisingly enough had been silent all this time, open his mouth to speak. Deciding that he rather liked the silence from him, Remy cut him off, turning to the goth beauty to his left.

"So, _chérie_, where you from?" he asked, taking another bite of his apple, ignoring the throbbing in his hand where the apple touched his wounds.

"Mississippi," Rogue answered, giving him a challenging look.

Well, Remy never was one to back down from a challenge. "Ah, so you be a river rat, then," he said, smirking.

She was not amused judging by her murderous expression. "Excuse me?"

"'M sorry. Remy thought we were givin' each other nicknames."

Her eyes flared dangerously again. _Dieu_, she was incredible. "Oh, Ah think Ah can find a better name to call you. How about—"

"As much as we would all like to hear that," Storm cut in quickly, "It will have to wait until later." Storm turned solemnly to Remy and his stomach knotted with dread. "Now, stop avoiding the subject, Remy. We must talk about what happened to you this morn—"

She was then herself interrupted by Henri running into the room, a frenzied look on his face. He spotted Remy and relief flooded his expression. "There you are! Went by your room and you weren't there! How you feelin', frère?"

_Saved by the brother_, Remy thought, mentally breathing a sigh of relief. "'M feelin' like a million bucks," he replied, winking at Rogue who scowled in return.

"'Ro!" Henri said, noticing Ororo for the first time. He went to embrace her and over his shoulder, Ororo gave Remy a look. It basically read, 'I'm not done with you yet.'

"How are you, Henri?" Storm asked his brother, pulling back from him. "And Mercy?"

"_Bon_, we're just _bon_, thank you," Henri answered. "Or we would be, if this one here didn't give us so much trouble."

Henri jabbed a thumb over his shoulder in Remy's direction and Remy gave his best Han Solo 'Who me?' impression to his family. Tante Mattie simply clucked exasperatedly and turned back to her cooking and Emil just rolled his eyes.

"Hope you can help him, 'Ro," Henri continued, seriously now.

"As do I, Henri," Storm said, giving Remy another look, causing him to roll his eyes this time.

He saw Rogue look curiously between him and Ororo and caught her gaze. He wiggled his eyebrows at her comically and thoroughly enjoyed the color that rose to her cheeks. She looked like she was fighting a smile off which made Remy grin broadly. He would have to try harder to make her smile. He knew it would be a sight to see.

"Excuse my rudeness," Storm told Henri. She gestured to Rogue. "This is Rogue, one of my students. Rogue this is Remy's brother, Henri."

"Nice to meet you," Rogue said politely, her alluring Southern drawl music to Remy's ears.

"Pleasure's all mine," Henri answered, before turning back to Remy. "C'mon, _frère. Pére_ wanted to see you soon as you got up."

_Oh, goody, _Remy thought. Jean-Luc was probably spitting mad about the fact that he'd ruined the heist. He was the last person Remy wanted to see right now.

"Alright, better go see what the old man wants," Remy said, forcing a smile. He blew a kiss to his angel. "Later, _ma_ _chérie_."

* * *

Rogue crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Remy as he and his brother left the kitchen. If that Cajun called her 'chérie' one more time, they were going to have some serious problems. As it were, she was sure she'd never met a more annoying, cocky…handsome, charming…_self-absorbed_, or frustrating person in her life! And she'd only spent less than 5 minutes in his presence! Would she be able to endure the time it would take to talk to him about coming to the Institute? And how was she supposed to get a word in if he kept flirting with her?

If Rogue was honest with herself, which she was (most of the time), than she would have to admit how attractive Remy was. It wasn't just his face, though that was a mighty influential factor, but rather the whole package. He was tall, probably about 5'11, with a lean but sturdy build. He was wearing a loose t-shirt and shorts and Rogue could see that his muscles contracted with each move he made. Not that she was looking or anything. She just happened to notice. She liked his voice the best. It was smooth and rich sounding despite his rough Cajun accent.

His flirtations with her during their brief encounter were bittersweet: Sweet because no guy had ever shown an interest in her, except for Cody; bitter for the same reason because after all, look at what had _happened_ to Cody.

She knew she would have to divulge what her powers were to him at some point. Mutants were always curious about other mutants' powers. She wondered if Remy's reactions to her powers would elicit the same fear she saw in the others' eyes. She found herself hoping not.

"De boy's smitten wit' you, child," Tante Mattie's voice came suddenly.

Rogue's eyes darted to the older woman, who was grinning to herself as she sprinkled some spice into a bubbling pot.

"Beggin' your pardon, ma'am, but Ah don't think so," Rogue said, feeling her cheeks redden again.

"Tante Mattie is never wrong 'bout dese t'ings," Tante told her, matter-a-factly. "You's somet'ing special."

Rogue chose to remain silent this time instead of disagreeing again. She was sure it wouldn't do anything as Tante Mattie seemed pretty confident.

"Knock dat boy's socks off at tonight dinner," Tante was continuing.

"Wait, what? Ah'm sorry," Rogue started, confused. "What's happenin' at dinner?"

"Well, you don't expect me to let you wear dat to dinner, do you?" Tante asked, gesturing to Rogue's ensemble.

Rogue frowned. Just what was wrong with her clothes? She was about to open her mouth to protest when she saw Emil wince and imperceptibly shake his head at her. Storm looked amused and Rogue graced her with a dark look.

Tante Mattie wasn't paying attention to them in the slightest. "We'll put you in somet'ing of Mercy's. A dress maybe," she rambled.

"A dress?" Rogue asked, alarmed. Dresses were a no-no for her. Too much bared skin. Too much risk.

"O' course, we'll have to make sure you've got some gloves," Tante said, winking at her. Rogue had a feeling Ororo hadn't told her about Rogue's powers but she couldn't figure out how Tante Mattie knew. "And no makeup," she added suddenly.

Rogue gaped at her. "But—"

"No buts."

Rogue looked to Storm and Emil but smiled and shrugged respectively. It seemed Mattie Baptiste was not a women you argued with and came out the victor.

She let out a long breath. "Alright, no makeup."

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

**A/N: Ahhh, I'm sorry for the delay guys! I loved all your reviews though, thank you so much!! I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story! I always try and write stories would enjoy reading and I'm enjoying writing this. As you can probably tell I don't have it all pre-written so I'm just trudging along chapter by chapter. I've never completed a multi-chapter story before so I'm really going to need your guy's encouragement with this. I appreciate your guys' comments and I really hope you like this chapter! I had planned a different more dramatic ending but it'll have to be saved for the next chapter. I wanted to get this up for your guys cause you've been so patient. Let me know what you think please! Reviews are like pumkin pie on Thanksgiving! I gobble, gobble, gobble them up!! **

**Thanks, **

**~Melissa  
**


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